I. ˈhəl noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English hul, hull, hole, from Old English hulu; akin to Old High German helawa oat chaff, hala hull, Old English helan to conceal — more at hell
1.
a. : the outer covering of a fruit or seed (as the husk of a grain or nut or the pod of the pea)
b. : the persistent calyx or involucre that subtends some fruits (as the strawberry)
2. dialect England : hut , hovel , shed
3.
a.
(1) : the frame or body of a ship exclusive of masts, yards, sails, and rigging — see ship illustration
(2) obsolete : hulk 4a
b.
(1) : the portion of a flying boat which furnishes buoyancy when in contact with the water and to which the main supporting surfaces and other parts are attached
(2) : the main structure of a rigid airship consisting of a covered elongated framework which encloses the gasbags and supports the cars and equipment
c. : the armored body of a vehicle
casting … huge steel tank hulls in a single piece — G.H.Johnston
the hull of an armored car is … of lighter-weight plate — Principles of Automotive Vehicles
4. : covering , casing : as
a. : the shell of a crustacean
shrimp hulls and heads are used as fertilizer
b. : a film of water encasing a soil particle
c.
(1) : an empty ammunition shell case
hot, spent cartridge hulls would be showering all over — Thomas Anderson
(2) : cartridge
won the national crown for the second time with a variety of … .22 hulls — Charles Askins b.1907
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English holen, hullen, from hole, hul, hull, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to remove the husks or shells of : shuck
hull peas
hull pecans
hull oysters
b. : to remove the outer skin of : decorticate
hull kernels of corn
hull coffee beans
hull barley
c. : to remove the calyx of
hull strawberries
2. : to pierce or strike the hull of (as a ship)
intransitive verb
1. : to float or drift with sails furled : lie ahull
2. archaic : idle
I am to hull here a little longer — Shakespeare
III. adjective
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: from Hull, England
: of or from the county borough of Hull, or Kingston upon Hull, England : of the kind or style prevalent in Hull